work suspended at pointe-st-charles construction site to limit fumes from volatile contaminants

work at a pointe-st-charles construction site contaminated with toxic chemicals has been halted to limit odours in the surrounding neighbourhood, according to a letter from the regional health authority. residents living near the construction site at island and augustin-cantin sts. are disturbed by the foul smell, which they say has affected the neighbourhood since may and has worsened in recent weeks. some have reported symptoms possibly caused by the fumes, including headaches, nausea and dizziness. on friday, the direction régionale de santé publique (drsp) of montreal confirmed in a letter to residents that contaminants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs), petroleum hydrocarbons and metals were found in the soil in an analysis conducted by a "specialized firm." "as of friday, july 24, 2026, construction has been suspended for an indefinite period to limit odours. work may resume once the proposed mitigation measures to reduce emissions have been evaluated and the necessary permits have been obtained from the relevant authorities," the regional health authority wrote, adding the contamination "was more extensive than expected." the health authority noted these chemicals are frequently found on contaminated sites. the gazette worked to obtain records showing the type of industrial activity that caused the site to become contaminated, but did not receive any in time for publication. according to mcgill university professor of environmental epidemiology scott weichenthal, long-term exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can cause cancer. while he said exposure over a two-month period wouldn't have that impact, the respiratory effects and other symptoms reported by residents, like "nausea, irritation, headaches" and dizziness, are expected side-effects. "there would have to be quite a lot of contamination for it to be emitting for this long, because it's exposed to the outdoors," he said in an interview. "what really surprises me is that it's an exposed site and it's emitting enough that people are really noticing it strongly, and then even reporting some of these symptoms that are very typical of these volatile chemicals." for those experiencing symptoms like headaches or nausea, or who are bothered by the odours, the health authority recommends staying indoors and closing windows. "the drsp does not yet have all the data necessary to assess the health risks to residents living near the construction site or to make recommendations to the project developer. the initial analysis results submitted to the drsp do not suggest an immediate health risk to the population. however, symptoms such as headaches or nausea may occur in the presence of odours," the health authority wrote in its letter. "in order to adequately assess the risks associated with longer-term exposure, additional and more in-depth analyses have been conducted by the project developer. the drsp is currently awaiting these results before determining the health risks that may be associated with the project’s activities, issuing recommendations to the project developer, and sharing them with the relevant environmental authorities." 

safety of future daycare

while the short-term symptoms may be uncomfortable or upsetting for those living nearby, weichenthal is more concerned about the safety of the future daycare being built on the contaminated site. "if they don't deal with this, that's going to be infiltrating the indoor air of a daycare," he said. to limit cancer risk in developing children, he suggested all of the contaminated soil might need to be removed to ensure the site is safe. weichenthal also said the concentration of contaminants should be measured before and after the decontamination, both in the soil and in the air, and then published as evidence to reassure the public. the provincial environment ministry told the gazette: "since the proposed use of the site is 'institutionally sensitive,' the environmental quality of the soil must meet criteria b of the intervention guide — soil policy and site remediation following the site’s remediation." emmanuelle speer, the director of the future daycare, said: "we are required by law to decontaminate (the site) to the highest standard, i.e., level a," as laid out by the environment ministry.